Tips
How to Use BOOT.INI Startup Switches
Windows NT, 2000 and XP use a configuration file, which is called BOOT.INI in order to control booting of the operating system and any startup options. By modifying the startup switches you are able to manage the boot process comprising booting Windows in Safe mode, creating a log file, or disabling the splash screen.
- Open you the root partition of your hard drive (normally C:\) and find the file, which is called "BOOT.INI". Moreover, you might need to enable hidden files under Folder > Options.
- Right-click on the file, select Properties and uncheck "Read-only", then click OK. You might like to make a backup of the file at this point in order to allow you to restore in case you experience problems.
- Open the file in Notepad and under the [operating systems] section you are going to find a list of all the systems that are installed. For example:
multi(0)disk(0)rdisk(0)partition(1)\WINDOWS="Microsoft Windows XP Home Edition" /fastdetect
If you need to enable or disable startup options, only change or add any of the switches listed below to the default command-line. For instance, you could add "/SOS" to the command-line above in order to display the splash screen and view the drivers to be loaded.
/3GB - New to Service Pack 3. This creates the split between user and system portions of the Windows NT map in order to become 3GB for user applications, 1GB for System. In order to take advantage of this, the system must be part of the NT Enterprise suite and the application must be flagged as a 3GB aware application.
/BASEVIDEO - The computer starts up by using the standard VGA video driver. Use this in case you have installed a graphics driver that is not working.
/BAUDRATE - Indicates the baud rate being used for debugging. In case you do not set the baud rate, the default baud rate is 9600 when a modem is attached, and 19200 for a null-modem cable.
/BOOTLOG - Makes 2000 write a log of the boot to the file %SystemRoot%\NTBTLOG.TXT Windows 2000/XP Only.
/BURNMEMORY=x - Makes NT forget about the given amount of memory in MB. If /burnmemory=64 has been given, then 64MB of memory is going to be unavailable.
/CRASHDEBUG - The debugger is loaded in case you start Windows NT, however it stays inactive unless a Kernel error occurs. This mode is useful in case you are experiencing random, unpredictable Kernel errors.
/DEBUG - The debugger is loaded if you start Windows NT, and may be activated at any time by a host debugger which is connected to the computer. This mode is devoted for use if you are debugging problems that are often reproducible.
/DEBUGPORT=comx - Indicates the com port to use for debugging, where x is the communications port that you wish to use.
/FASTDETECT - Indicating FASTDETECT causes NTDETECT to skip parallel and serial device enumeration for a boot into Win2K, whereas omitting the switch has NTDETECT perform enumeration for a boot into NT 4.0. Win2K setup automatically recognizes dual-boot configurations and sets this switch for BOOT.INI lines that indicate a Win2K boot. Windows 2000/XP Only.
/HAL= - Permits you to override the HAL used, for instance using a checked version.
/INTAFFINITY - Sets the multiprocessor HAL (HALMPS.DLL) in order to set interrupt affinities such that only the highest numbered processor in an SMP is going to receive interrupts. Without the switch the HAL defaults to its normal behavior of letting all processors receive interrupts. Windows 2000/XP Only.
/KERNEL= - Same as above but for the kernel.
/MAXMEM:n - Indicates the maximum amount of RAM that Windows NT may use. This switch is useful in case you suspect a memory chip is bad.
/NODEBUG - No debugging information is to be used.
/NOGUIBOOT - When this option is indicated the VGA video driver responsible for presenting bit mapped graphics during Win2K's boot process is not initialized. The driver is used to display boot progress information, equally as to print the Blue Screen crash screen. So, disabling it would disable Win2K's ability to do those things too. Windows 2000/XP only.
/NOSERIALMICE=[COMx | COMx,y,z...] - Disables serial mouse detection of the indicated COM port(s). Use this switch in case you have a component other than a mouse attached to a serial port during the startup sequence. In case you use /NOSERIALMICE without indicating a COM port, serial mouse detection is disabled on all COM ports.
/NUMPROC=n - Only enables the first n processors on a multiple processor system.
/ONECPU - Only use the first CPU in a multiple processor system.
/PCILOCK - Stops Windows NT from dynamically assigning IO/IRQ resources to PCI devices and leaves the devices configured by the BIOS.
/SAFEBOOT - This is an automatic switch which NTLDR should complete for you in case you use the F8 menu in order to perform a safe boot. By following the colon in the option you have to indicate one of three additional switches: MINIMAL, NETWORK, or DSREPAIR. The MINIMAL and NETWORK flags agree with safe boot with no network and safe boot with network support. The safe boot is a boot where Windows 2000/XP only loads drivers and services that are indicated by name or group in the Minimal or Network Registry keys under HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\Control\SafeBoot. The DSREPAIR (Directory Services Repair) switch causes NT for booting into a mode where it restores the Active Directory from a backup medium you present. An additional option that you are able to attach is "(ALTERNATESHELL)". This tells NT to use the program indicated by HKLM\System\CurrentControlSet\SafeBoot\AlternateShell as the graphical shell, rather than to use the default which is Explorer. Windows 2000/XP only.
/SOS - Shows the driver names while they are being to be loaded. Use this switch in case Windows NT won?? start up and you think a driver is missing. This option is configured by default on the [VGA] option on the boot menu.
/WIN95 - This switch is just appropriate on a triple-boot system that has DOS, Win9x and Windows NT installed. Indicating the /WIN95 switch directs NTLDR for booting the Win9x boot sector, which is stored in BOOTSECT.W40. Take a look at Microsoft KB Article Q157992 for more information.
/WIN95DOS - This switch is just appropriate on a triple-boot system that has DOS, Win9x and Windows NT installed. SIndicating the /WIN95DOS switch directs NTLDR for booting the DOS boot sector, which is stored in BOOTSECT.DOS. Take a look at Microsoft KB Article Q157992 for more information.
/YEAR= - Indicating this value causes NT/Windows 2000 core time function to ignore the year that the computer's real-time clock reports and in place of it use the one indicated. Thus, the year used in the switch affects every piece of software on the system, comprising the NT kernel. Example: /YEAR=2005. Note that: this option is only available on NT 4.0 Service Pack 4 and Windows 2000/XP.
Finally, save the file and restart Windows to enable modification.
|
User Comments
PLease help.